Repair plug



Dec. 22, 1964 BEST 3,162,230

REPAIR PLUG Original Filed Jan. 10, 1961 FIG.6

3,162,230 REPAIR PLUG Thomas Best, 10310 Tennessee Ave, Los Angeles,Calif. Original application Jan. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 81,768, now

This invention pertains to an arrangement for repairing punctures ininflatable devices such as tubeless tires and is a division of myco-pending application for United States patent Serial No. 81,768, filedJanuary 10, 1961, for Repair Device, now Patent No. 3,083,597, grantedApril 2, 1963.

This invention particularly relates to a flanged plughavingcharacteristics that enable it to be useable with a device forplacing it in operative position in a tubeless tire without removing thetire from the rim.

It is an object of my invention to provide a flanged plug which isadapted to be placed in a puncture of an inflatable device in such amanner that the flange will engage the interior of the inflatable deviceand the plug will be received only in the puncture hole into which itexpands and completely fills.

It is another object of my invention to provide a plug which is capableof being placed in a tubeless tire by a ram gun under controlledconditions.

It is still another object of my invention to provide a "plug having alength and diameter such that its mass or volume is substantially equalto that of the nozzle into which it is compressed for placing in a holein an inflatable device.

Other objects of my invention will appear .in the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section showing the ram gun for placing the plug inthe tire;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the adapter and nozzle with the plug inplace for firing;

FIG. 3 shows the plug in the fired position of the gun;

FIG. 4 is an elevation of the plug forming the subject matter of thisdivisional application;

'FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the plug taken along the line 5-5 of FIG.4; and

FIG. 6 is an elevation of a molded plastic part for facilitating placingthe plug in the puncture hole.

Referring now to the drawing, the plug forming the subject matter ofthis invention is referred to generally as 40 and is provided with ahead 41 having a flange portion 42 and a stem portion 43. In the base 45of the stem portion there is provided a recess or opening 44 adapted toreleasably engage flanged nipple 32 on piston rod 13 of the gun used toplace the plug in place in a puncture hole. It will be noted in FIG. 5particularly that the recess or opening 44 is of a larger diameter atits most inwardly location in the stem to facilitate engagement with theflanged nipple 32.

It has been found that plugs of different lengths and diameters willfunction with the same nozzle of a given gun as long as the mass of theplug remains substantially the same. For instance, a short plug ofrelatively large diameter will give equally satisfactory results as asome what longer plug of less diameter. Accordingly, the dimensions andmass of the material in the plug are coordinated with the diameter andlength of the nozzle 15 of the gun and the passageway 30 thereof thatthe volume of the stem between the flange and recess is substantiallythat of the nozzle.

The gun for placing the plug in position comprises a handle 1 providedwith a trigger 2 slidably received in opening 16 in handle 1. Trigger 2is provided with flanges 17, 18, 19 and 20 forming with the stem 21 aUnited States Patent 0 air or other gas.

Ice

valve 4 which is held in the forward position in opening 16 by spring 3.The handle 1 is provided with an opening 22 adapted to be connected to asource of compressed Opening 22 leads to passageway 23 which isconnected to passageway 24 upon pressing trigger 2 to bring the portion25 of stem 21 in such position as to connect passageways 23 and 24.0-rings 5 are provided between flanges 17 and 18 as well as between 19and 20 to seal against leakage of air from the valve piston. Triggermember 2 and valve piston 4 are retained in the handle of the gun by aretainer member 6. Attached to the handle is a cylinder 26 adapted to befastened thereto by any suitable manner such as by bonding or by way ofa screw member 7. A sealing member 8 may be provided if so desired.Attached to the other end of cylinder-member 26 is an adapter 14 whichis connected to the cylinder 26 by a suitable screw 27. A nozzle 15 isattached by screw threads 28 to the front end of the adapter. Thisnozzle is provided with a tapered portion 29 and a passageway 30.Slidably received within cylinder 26 is a piston member 11 provided withan O- ing sealing means 10. Piston rod 13 is attached to piston 11 bynut 9. Rod 13 is slidably received inpassageway 31 of adapter 14. Pistonrod 13 is provided at its forward end with a flanged nipple 32 for apurpose to be hereinafter more fully described A spring 12 is placedinteriorly of cylinder 26 and around piston rod 13 to hold it normallyin a rearward position as shows in FIG. 1. The adapter 14 is provided atits rear end with a stop member 33 for limiting forward movement ofpiston 11 and likewise piston rod 13. The piston rod 13 is made of suchlength that when piston 11 is against stop 33 the forward end 34 of thepiston rod is located adjacent the end 35 of adapter 14. The end 34 isrounded so that it may protrude slightly beyond end 35 into taperedpassageway 29.

To facilitate inserting nozzle 15 into the puncture hole of the tirethere is provided a molded plastic member 37 having a tapered portion 38and a cylindrical portion 39 adapted to be received in passageway 30 ofnozzle 15.

In the operation of the device, nozzle 15 is unscrewed from adapter 14and plug 41) is placed into adapter 14. Stem 43 of plug 40 is ofslightly less diameter than the diameter 31 of adapter 14. The tip 36 ofnozzle 15 is pressed against the head 41 of plug 40 and forces the pluginto the adapter until recess 44 engages flanged nipple 32 of piston 13,and base 45 of stem 43 seats against face 34 of rod 13. When the plug isso placed in the adapter recess the flange 42 is inverted and facesforwardly as shown in FIG. 2. Nozzle 15 is then attached to adapter 14.

Plastic member 37 is inserted into the opening 35) at tip 36 of nozzle15. When the puncture is to be repaired it is first reamed out in theusual manner and cement applied into the hole by means of a reamer or insome other manner well known in the art. Thereupon nozzle 15 is pushedinto the puncture opening so that tip 36 is interiorly of the tirecasing. Trigger 2 is then moved to permit air under pressure to passthrough the passageways 23 and 24 to force piston 11 forwardly togetherwith rod 13 to force plug 40 through passageway 30 of nozzle 15. Ram 13continues until the forward portion 34 thereof is located slightlybeyond the end 35 of adapter 14 at which time the outer portion of therubber stem 43 which surrounds nipple 32 engages sloping portion 29 ofnozzle 15 and restrains the rear portion of stem 43. Plug 46 iscompressed in passageway 30 and the momentum given to the plug by theforward motion of the rod carries it forwardly until the edge of rim 42emerges from the tip 36 of the nozzle. The rim 42 thereupon umbrellasoutwardly until only the head 41 and flange 42 have emerged from the end36 of the nozzle 15.

Upon firing the gun'there is first a compression force on theplug toforce it"into'passageway 30. Momentum is built up as the piston and plugmove forwardly to a point where the rear end of the plug is confined inthe sloping passageway 29 as shown in FIG. 3', thereby arresting theforward motion of the rearward portion of the plug. The forward portionof the plug, however, continues its forward motionuntil the flange 42just emerges j from the tip 36 of nozzle 15, thestem being elongated,

such elongation taking place after its'initial compression and duringits forward motion.

Upon release of trigger 2 the air is vented and spring 12 retractspiston 11 to its position in FIG. 1. A withdrawingforce is thenexertedupon the gun to withdraw L nozzle 15 from the puncture hole. Theinterior of "flange 32 is thereby drawn intouengag'ement with theinterior of the tire and asgthe nozzle 15 iswithdrawn from the tire theplug stem 43 expands and entirely fills the cavity of the puncture hole.

It may be noted that the nozzle 15 must be of sufiicient I length toextend into the interior of the tire. Otherwise its length is notcritical except as being coordinated with the other parts ashereinbeforedescribed to provide an arrangement whereby only the head 41 and theflange 43 extend from theend 36 of the nozzle upon'firing of the gun. v

Althoughthe invention'has been described and illustrated in detail, itis to be clearly understood that the same isby way of illustrationand-example onlyand is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spiritand scope of this invention being limited only appended claims I claim:I

by the terms of the extending flange and a recess at the other end ofsaid stem, said recess being'of'a given diameter at one end of said stemand ofv a larger diameter at its most inwardly location in said stem.

2. A flexible resilientjrepair plug adapted for placement in a hole inan inflatable article, a nozzle into which said plug is adapted to becompressed, said nozzle being adapted to beplaced-thrbugh the hole inthe inflatable member and then withdrawn from around the plug leavingthe plug inthe hole, said plug comprising an elongated stem, a head atone end of said stem having a laterally extending flange' and a recessat the other end of saidstem, the-" volu'rne of 'said'jste rn from saidrecess to said flange beingfsubstantially -the same as the volume ofsaid nozzlewhen compressed thereinto. M 1 I 3. Aflexible"resilient'repair plug adapted for placement in a holein aninflatable article,'a nozzlelint'o which said plug-is" adapted tobecompressed, saidnbzzlbeing --adapted to be placed through the, hole in'the inflatable the flangefcomprising a volume rof materialsubstantially "equal to the volume of saidnozzle.

' References Cited hy the Examiner UNITED, STATES PATENTS 313551499'12/271 Fisher n; 152-370 X 1. A flexible resilient repair plu'g havingan elongated 7 stern, ahead at one endof said stem having a laterally 2,920,515 1/60 Mays. ARTHUR L. LA POINT, PrimaryEXaminer.

2. A FLEXIBLE RESILIENT REPAIR PLUG ADAPTED FOR PLACEMENT IN A HOLE INAN INFLATABLE ARTICLE, A NOZZLE INTO WHICH SAID PLUG IS ADAPTED TO BECOMPRESSED, SAID NOZZLE BEING ADAPTED TO BE PLACED THROUGH THE HOLE INTHE INFLATABLE MEMBER AND THEN WITHDRAWN FROM AROUND THE PLUG LEAVINGTHE PLUG IN THE HOLE, SAID PLUG COMPRISING AN ELONGATED STEM, A HEAD ATONE END OF SAID STEM HAVING A LATERALLY EXTENDING FLANGE AND A RECESS ATTHE OTHER END OF SAID STEM, THE VOLUME OF SAID STEM FROM SAID RECESS TOSAID FLANGE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME AS THE VOLUME OF SAID NOZZLEWHEN COMPRESSED THEREINTO.